Session 1
Child Rights and Tourism
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
What are Child Rights?
• In addition to the human rights to which every
person is entitled, children have specific rights
that reflect their special needs.
• The main international legal instrument for the
protection of children’s rights is the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of
1989.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The CRC
The CRC is built on four core principles:
1. Children’s right to survival and development
2. Non-discrimination (all rights apply to all children)
3. Best interest of the child (recognises that children are
vulnerable and need special support and protection)
4. Participation (children are to be involved in decisions
affecting them)
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Child Rights and Tourism
The tourism industry has an impact on the
lives of children
Their rights must be protected as tourism
develops
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Child Rights and Tourism
Child rights must be part of tourism development
policies
• Human rights and child rights are protected and
violated by tourism development.
• Children have specific needs and vulnerabilities.
Tourists are defined as people who "travel to and stay
in places outside their usual environment for not more
than one consecutive year for leisure, business and
other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity
remunerated from within the place visited“ (UNWTO)
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Sustainable Tourism
In order for tourism to be sustainable, it needs to
incorporate practices of responsible tourism to
safeguard natural, cultural and human assets for
the future.
Among the human assets are children, who need
special protection and safeguard in order to
express their potential in the future.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Responsible Tourism
Responsible tourism (RT) can be summarised as tourism
development that ensures the protection of nature, respect for
cultures and the empowerment of local economies. ECPAT
International believes that RT should encompass the protection of
children’s rights.
And, according the UN World Tourism Organisation’s Global Code
of Ethics for Tourism, “the exploitation of human beings in any
form, particularly sexual, especially when applied to children,
conflicts with the fundamental aims of tourism and is the negation
of tourism […]” (Art. 2.3).
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 2
Commercial Sexual
Exploitation of Children
and Child Sex Tourism
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
“The use of children for sexual
gratification by adults for
remuneration in cash or kind to
the child, or third person(s).
It constitutes a form of coercion and
violence against children, and
amounts to forced labour and a
contemporary form of slavery”
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
CSEC and Child Sex Abuse
Whereas both are forms of violence against
children and share some similarities, the
commercial sexual exploitation of children is
different from child sexual abuse (CSA).
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
CSEC and Child Sex Abuse
CSEC
vs
• The abuser is often a
stranger and abuse
takes place at unknown
locations
• Usually not kept secret
from friends and peers
• People in social circle
may not frown upon it
Child Sexual Abuse
• The abuser is usually
known and abuse takes
place in familiar
environment
• Usually kept secret
from friends and peers
• Apart from abuser,
people disapprove of it
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
CSEC
vs
• Child is often active and
may feel powerful
• Often expresses emotions
about CSE
• May be aggressive,
pseudo-confident
• Wider community and
legal system views the
child’s behaviour in
negative way
Child Sexual Abuse
• Child is usually passive
and typically feels
powerless
• Often reluctant to talk
about CSA
• May be withdrawn and
quiet
• Wider community and
legal system is
sympathetic and
supportive
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
Main types of CSEC:
 Child Prostitution
 Child Pornography
Trafficking of Children for sexual
purposes
Other manifestations:
 Child Sex Tourism
 Early marriage
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Child Sex Tourism (CST)
Child sex tourism (CST) is the sexual exploitation of
children by a person or persons who travel from their home
district, home geographical region, or home country and
have sexual contact with children. Child sex tourists can be
domestic travellers or they can be international tourists.
CST often involves the use of accommodation,
transportation, and other tourism-related services which
facilitate contact with children and which enable him or her
to be anonymous to the surrounding population and
environment.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Child Sex
Tourism
Child
Prostitution
Other forms of
sexual
exploitation
(child marriages)
Child
Pornography
Child
Trafficking
for Sexual
Purposes
Commercial Sexual Exploitation
of Children
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Child Sex Tourism (CST)
CST and Trafficking
CST and Child Pornography
+
=
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Child Sex Tourism (CST)
-
Origin
Travel agency
Tour operator
Airline
On-line booking
agency
-
Between
Aeroplane
Bus
Train
Boat
-
-
-
Destination
Hotel, guesthouse,
rented apartment
Tour operator
Taxis, car-rental
companies
Bars, restaurants
Clubs
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
CSEC and Child Sex Tourism
Tourism
destination
Vulnerable
children or
CSEC
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 3
Child-Sex Tourism:
Where, Who and How?
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Child Sex Tourism (CST)
Where?
Who?
How?
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Where?
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
CST hotspots
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Where?
•
•
•
•
Brothels and clubs
Beach and streets in tourism destinations
Hotels and guesthouses
Rented accommodation (residences,
apartments, villas, etc.)
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who?
• Situational Child Sex Offender
Abuses children by way of experimentation,
sexual indiscrimination, or through anonymity
and impunity as a tourist. He or she does not
have an exclusive sexual inclination for
children.
Majority of child sex tourists
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who?
• Preferential Child Sex Offender
Active sexual preference for children. The
preferential sex offender can be someone who
prefers sexual contact with children in general
or someone who feels sexual desire for children
exclusively.
Minority of child sex tourists
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who?
• Paedophile
Suffering from a clinical condition/pathological
disorder, the paedophile desires sexual contact
with children exclusively and not with adults.
Usually, this preference is for pre-pubescent
children.
Very small minority of child sex offenders
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who?
– Colonial or Historical Routes:
• French tourists in West Africa
• UK citizens in India
• Japanese nationals in South-East Asia
– Regional Routes:
• US and Canadian citizens in Mexico and the Caribbean
• East Asians in South-East Asia
• Scandinavians in North-East and South-East Europe
HOWEVER, unexpected child sex tourism routes include:
• Italian tourists to Colombia
• Swedish nationals in Paraguay
• Swiss man in South Africa
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who?
• Victims tend to come from disadvantaged backgrounds:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Poor
Living on street/beach
Ethnic minority
Low-level education
From dysfunctional or broken family
Abused in home
• But also:
– Middle-class background
– Influenced by materialism and consumerism (often as a result of
peer pressure)
– Unaware of dangers/consequences
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
How?
• Wealth discrepancies between tourists
and underprivileged local children
• Working children and street children are
directly exposed to tourists
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
How?
• Travel:
– Organised tours
– Independent travel
• Access to children:
– Third party (taxi drivers, waiters, vendors)
– Direct contact with children (street/beach children,
organisations working with children)
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
How?
Payment:
• To third party (pimp, brothel owner, family
member, accommodation owner)
• Directly to child
• Grooming process/emotional engagement with
child
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Major Factors
•
•
•
•
•
•
Unregulated tourism development
Widespread poverty
Weak enforcement of law
Demand for sexual contact with children
Economic discrepancies
Materialism and consumerism
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Misconceptions
• All child-sex tourists are foreigners
• All child-sex tourists are older men
• Child-sex tourism takes place only in sea and sun
destinations
• Minors are happy to engage in child-sex tourism and do
so out of choice (the issue of consent)
• Child-sex tourism takes place in South-East Asia and
South America only
• Child-sex tourism is caused by the minors who engage
in it
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Impacts (societal)
• Health risks – especially HIV/AIDS and STDs affect local
community
• Social and cultural damage: loss of cultural identity and
dependency on tourist dollars
• Damage to image of destination and tourism industry –
EXTREMELY difficult to shed image of sex tourism
• Undermines sustainable tourism development –
unstable investment prospects
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Impacts (individual)
• Long-term psychological (and possibly physical)
traumatisation
• Health risks – especially HIV/AIDS and STDs
• Stigmatisation by family and close community
• Economic difficulties resulting from marginalisation –
vicious circle leading back to prostitution
• Loss of self-esteem
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Case Study: the Americas
In the Americas…
• Child sex tourism in the Americas
has followed the industrialisedcountry to developing-country
pattern, with Canadian and US
nationals travelling to countries to
the south in order to take
advantage of their wealth
advantage and engage in
commercial sexual exploitation of
children. Some of these
destinations have struggled for
more than twenty years with child
sex tourists from their northern
neighbours. Others, such as
Colombia, have started to
experience it more recently.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Case Study: Mexico
Tijuana !
Mexico
• One 2005 estimate asserted that
more than 20,000 minors were
victims of prostitution. Furthermore,
the cities where abuse is reportedly
most frequent are the major tourist
towns of Tijuana, Acapulco, Cancún,
and Guadalajara. Numerous
investigations into American child
sex tourists have led authorities to
crimes committed in Mexico; in fact,
Guadalajara !
an incredible 18 of 50 (or 36%) of
American child sex tourism cases
between 2003 and 2006 involved
crimes committed in Mexico.
Cancun
Acapulco
!
!
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Case Study: Colombia
Foreign tourists travel to Colombia and
engage in child sex tourism in the coastal
city of Cartagena or sometimes Bogotá.
NGOs, UNICEF, and law enforcement
have jointly estimated that there are
between 20,000 and 35,000 child victims
of CSEC in Colombia. In Cartagena, a city
which attracts tourists from all over the
world as a major Caribbean destination,
1,500 boys and girls are estimated to be
exploited in the child sex industry, with
foreign tourists visibly seeking minors in
prostitution. Authorities of Cartagena have
even developed a plan to combat CSEC
in the city as the problem grows.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 4
The Legal Framework
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Legal Framework
Not enough tourists and tourism companies are
aware of the legal implications of Child Sex
Tourism.
Many tourists still think that CST is not against the
law.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The International Legal Framework
• Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children
• ILO Convention (no. 182) and
Recommendations Concerning the Worst Forms
of Child Labour
• Optional Protocol Seeking to Prevent, Suppress,
and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially
Women and Children
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The International Legal Framework
Convention on the Rights of the Child: Article 34
Protection from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. […]
States Parties shall in particular take all appropriate national, bilateral
and multilateral measures to prevent:
(a) The inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful
sexual activity;
(b) The exploitative use of children in prostitution or other unlawful
sexual practices;
(c) The exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and
materials.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Domestic Legal Framework
• Domestic legislation can vary from country
to country
• In every country, sexual exploitation of
children by adults is against the law
• Also, there is extraterritorial legislation in
many countries
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Case Study:
A Belgian offender in Cambodia
In 2006, a Belgian national who had previously been convicted of
sexual crimes against children in his native Belgium was convicted of
child sex abuse in Cambodia. The man had been found naked in a
Phnom Penh guesthouse with a 13 year-old boy whom he had been
sexually abusing for two to three years in exchange for financial
support to the boy’s family. With a highest ever sentence of 18 years,
this particular case of child sex tourism could have been tried in
Belgium but was tried in Cambodia under the domestic debauchery
law, thereby sending out the clear message that Cambodia is stepping
up enforcement of its domestic legislation against sexual exploitation of
children.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Extraterritorial Legislation
There are currently 44 countries that have extraterritorial legislation to
prosecute their nationals for sexual exploitation of a child in a foreign
country
1. Algeria
2. Andorra
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Belgium
6. Bulgaria
7. Canada
8. Chile
9. China
10.Costa Rica
11.Cyprus
12.Denmark
13.Ethiopia
14.Finland
15.France
16.Germany
17.Iceland
18.Indonesia
19.Ireland
20.Italy
21.Japan
22.Kyrgyzstan
23.Laos
24.Luxembourg
25.Mauritius*
26.Mexico
27.Morocco
28.Netherlands
(*) Addressing child trafficking only
29.New Zealand
30.Norway
31.Portugal
32.Singapore
33.Slovenia
34.South Africa
35.Spain
36.Sudan
37.Sweden
38.Switzerland
39.Taiwan
40.Thailand
41.Togo
42.Ukraine
43.United Kingdom
44.United States
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Case of Extraterritorial Legislation: Australia
Part I
In September 2007, Australia’s Attorney-General Philip Ruddock told
parliament that its fellow citizens play a large part in the overseas child sex
industry. Mr Ruddock was introducing new measures that widen the reach
of the law to deal with Australians involved in child sex tourism, which the
United Nations has condemned as “one of the worst contemporary forms
of slavery”. Australian law already covers overseas Australians having
sexual intercourse and acts of indecency with a child as well as inducing a
child to have sex with another person. Mr Ruddock said that since these
laws were introduced in 1994, there’d been more than 20 prosecutions and
about 15 convictions. He said the new measures fill gaps by creating new
grooming, procuring and preparatory offences. “These offences are
essentially preventive in nature,” Mr Ruddock said. “Their purpose is to
give law-enforcement agencies and prosecutors the mandate to take
action before any child is harmed.”He said grooming included encouraging
a child to believe they had a romantic interest in an adult or
desensitising the child to the thought of sex with the adult.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Case of Extraterritorial Legislation: Australia
Part II
Procuring covered encouraging, enticing, recruiting or inducing a child to
have sex with an adult. Preparatory offences covered a wide range of
behaviour that was part of planning sexual offences. This could involve
making a hotel reservation in a well known child sex tourism destination, so
long as this could be linked to an intention to commit an offence.
Procuring a child would carry a penalty of 15 years jail and grooming 12
years. “Child sex tourism is a serious problem in many less developed
countries,” Mr Ruddock said. “Many of these countries lack effective laws
or, where the laws are in place, the ability or willingness to enforce them.
“Unfortunately, Australians play a large part in the child sex industry
overseas, particularly in Asian and Pacific Island countries.” He said the
new measures would send a strong message to Australians contemplating
such behaviour overseas (AAP news article).
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 5
CST and the unique position
of the tourism professional
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Offenders use tourism services
TOURISM SERVICES CAN FACILITATE
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
UNLESS MECHANISMS ARE IN PLACE
TO STOP IT FROM HAPPENING
Stop Child Sex Tourism
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Offenders use tourism services
Like any tourists before travel begins,
offenders use the services of travel agents
and tour operators (often online booking
site). These can thus actively function as
first-stage points of awareness-raising.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Brochures used with
tour agents and tour
operators
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Tags used with tour
agents and tour
operators
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Brochures on the Code
of Conduct
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Offenders use tourism services
Transportation services, such as airlines,
buses, trains, taxis, and others, facilitate
travel by ill-intentioned tourists.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Offenders use tourism services
Hotels, guesthouses, resorts, cruise ships,
and other services involving
accommodation are used as venues of
exploitation.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Position of the Tourism Industry
The tourism industry is a unique position to:
• inform and raise awareness among the target groups
• proactively become part of the prevention system
against child sex tourism
• protect the children of the tourist destination
• report on the issue to relevant authorities
• influence tourism policy-makers
• others…
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 6
Developing and enforcing
child protection
within a company
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Developing a Child Protection Policy
and Procedure
• Draft text reflecting the company’s or
organisation’s stance on the issue of child
sex tourism
• Circulate the policy to all staff members
• Distribute the policy and make the policy
known to suppliers and business partners
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Developing a Child Protection Policy
and Procedure
Example:
Sun Travel Tours believes tourists who use tourism
facilities to gain sexual contact with children are
committing a grave violation of children’s rights. Child
sex tourism runs counter both to human rights and the
values of tourism. Sun Travel Tours is fully against
sexual exploitation of children in tourism and refuses to
conduct business with any person or company who is
engaged or associated with this type of exploitation.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Developing a Child Protection Policy
and Procedure
• A clear and easy-to-follow protocol to be
used if the company comes into contact
with either a child sex offender or a
potential child victim
• Those members of staff who come into
contact with tourists should conduct
simulation/role-play exercises to practice
responding to situations of exploitation
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Implementing a Child Protection
Policy and Procedure
Steps to follow if staff suspect sexual abuse or exploitation of a child
• If hotel staff believe that a child is being abused or exploited on the
premises of the hotel, staff should first alert the local police as the
situation is an emergency.
• If the suspected offender and child have tried unsuccessfully to
secure a room in the hotel or have stayed in the hotel and already
left the hotel premises, the staff should still alert local police of what
are their suspicion.
• Whether reporting to local police or to a local child rights
organisation it is also important to pass this information on to the
embassy of the suspected national.
When Reporting
• Details such as name, nationality, passport number, etc., of the
suspected offender are important to give to local or international
law enforcement.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Developing a Child Protection
Policy and Procedure
The vast majority of tourists prefer to travel
with a company that takes this issue
seriously and is not seen to be facilitating an
illegal activity.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Developing a Child Protection Policy
and Procedure
What do other tourists think?
• In Europe, 84% of people believe the European Union
needs to get involved in the fight against child sex
tourism.
Awareness campaigns
• Belief in the effectiveness of such awareness or
information campaigns is more common in Italy and
Sweden (64%). Among those who find them quite
effective, Sweden and Italy stand out (52% and 50%
respectively).
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 7
What to look out for
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
What to Look Out for
• Talking with vulnerable children regularly
(street children, working children)
• Alone with child
• Giving money/gifts/food to families or
children
• Saying how much he or she loves children
• Inquiring about situation of children
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who to Report
A Tourist Trying to Buy a Child for Sexual
Exploitation
A tourist who approaches locals, hotel staff,
other tourism professionals, or even other
tourists asking where he or she can pay for sex
with young children should be reported to the
authorities. Such a tourist might be seen
walking into a brothel, club, or massage parlor
known for selling sex with minors.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who to Report
A Tourist Sexually Abusing a Child
This includes an adult touching a child in an
inappropriate manner, or forcing the child to
touch the tourist inappropriately. It can also be a
tourist engaging in non-contact sexual abuse,
such as exposing him or herself to a child,
asking a child to undress, forcing a child to
touch another, photographing a child).
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who to Report
A Person Selling a Child
This might be someone in a bar, hotel, club or
even brothel who is asking tourists if they
would like to have sex with a minor. Often, it is
go-betweens working in the tourism industry
(taxi-drivers, waiters, etc.) who propose sex
with children to tourists. Such a person might
suggest tourists visit a red-light district and
meet young girls or boys.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Who to Report
A hotel or travel company allowing
exploitation of children
If hotel staff do not check the age of boys and girls who enter
a hotel with a guest and who are clearly not family relations,
the hotel may be facilitating child sex tourism and should be
reported. Similarly, if hotel staff approach guests with offers
of sex with minors, they and the hotel should be reported. It
can also happen that a tour operator, tour guide or other
travel company (trekking, adventure tourism, cruises) might
bring tourists to places where they can have free access to
children. Such companies are engaging in child sex tourism
and should be reported to local or international authorities.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
What to report?
Details:
•
•
•
•
Name
Date(s) and location of abuse
Where person resides
Description of child/name of child, if possible
If a foreigner, additional information needed:
• Country of origin
• Where person is staying
• Passport number, friends, associates and all other details
possible
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
To whom should you report?
•
•
•
•
Local Police
Local NGO working with children
An Embassy, if the offender is a foreigner
Reporting hotlines, such as:
protect@ecpat.net
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Simulation and Role-Play
Scenario 1
Setting: Hotel
You are the front-desk receptionist on shift at night. One night, a regular guest of the hotel, Mr.
Donz comes over to start a small conversation with you, asking how the GM is doing. After a
few minutes of chit-chatting, he leaves. A few hours later, you see him bringing a young girl with
him into the hotel. You have never seen Mr. Donz with this girl before and, from your best
knowledge, do not think he had a daughter. You talk to your co-worker about it and she thinks
saying something will anger the GM. How would you respond to this situation? What would you
say to him? What would you do?
Recommended Answers:
• To the co-worker, try to explain that it is company policy to protect children. Go get a
supervisor if it helps
• To Mr. Donz, ask him very politely about the child and try to get information from the
child too if possible
• Check for the child’s identification
• If the child is under 18 years, they cannot enter the hotel without parents’
permission!
• TRUST your instinct/judgment/intuition: if something is wrong, follow the reporting
Raising Awareness on
procedure
Child Sex Tourism
Simulation and Role-Play
Scenario 2
Setting: Travel Agency
Mr. Onpy is in charge of keeping his business colleagues entertained while they visit.
He comes to you for recommendation on where to take his colleagues in the nearby
beach town. You begin to recommend restaurants, famous sights, and night markets.
Then, Mr. Onpy asks about the “entertainment red-light” areas and asks for your
recommendations for places with young girls. How would you respond to him? What
would you say to him? What would you do?
Recommended Answers:
• Explain to Mr. Onpy that it is illegal under the domestic law to engage in sexual
relations with anyone under 18 and that it is against company policy to advise him
where to go
• Anyway, the travel agent should refrain from pointing Mr. Onpy to red-light-district
establishments, because prostitution – even when legalised – has been shown to
facilitate trafficking and exploitation of women and children.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Simulation and Role-Play
Scenario 3
Setting: Hotel
You are part of the housekeeping team and one day while cleaning a room, you see
a Western foreigner and a local boy walking together in the hallway. The boy is very
quiet and keeps his head down as they continue to walk past you. You get the feeling
that something is wrong but do not have any clear evidence and indication that
abuse may occur. How would you react to this situation? What would you do?
Recommended Answers:
• Attempt to talk to the guest to gain information; ask for ID and try to talk to the child
– trust your instinct
• If there is no chance for conversation, try to collect as much data as possible: room
number and physical description
• Contact your supervisor and discuss the situation: if abuse is suspected, follow the
reporting procedure
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Simulation and Role-Play
Scenario 4
Setting: Tourist site
You are a tour guide taking a small group of tourists hiking through a scenic historical
site. You noticed that one of your tourists, Mr. Lee, keeps approaching the children
that sell souvenirs and trinkets along the route. He seems very friendly and eager to
befriend them. You see him talking to the children, taking pictures, learning their
names and buying their goods. How would you react to this situation? What would
you do?
Recommended Answers:
• You can indirectly inform Mr. Lee by telling the whole hiking group about how your
company is enforcing the concept of corporate social responsibility by joining the
Code of Conduct and promoting awareness about child sex tourism. Also mention that
it is a criminal offence and any sexual exploitation of children is illegal.
• You may also want to talk to the street children, to warn them about strangers that
seem too nice and offer money in exchange for possible abuse.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Tips!
• Be polite but firm in your words
and body language.
• Explain the company’s policy in
simple terms.
• Keep referring to the policy if there
is disagreement. If necessary,
show the guest where it is written.
• Remember that you are doing the
right thing!
• Do not be scared or nervous when
asking questions or for ID. It is
normal procedure.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 8
The Code of Conduct:
What is it?
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct
for the Protection of Children from Sexual
Exploitation in Travel and Tourism
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
• Developed as a project to engage the tourism private
sector in preventing and combating sexual exploitation
of children in tourism.
• Initiated in 1998 by ECPAT Sweden and Nordic tour
operators, with the support of the United Nations World
Tourism Organisation.
• Nearly 600 companies in 23 countries are currently
signatories to the Code (2007).
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
1. To establish an ethical policy regarding commercial sexual
exploitation of children.
2. To train the personnel in the country of origin and travel
destinations.
3. To introduce a clause in contracts with suppliers, stating the
common repudiation of commercial sexual exploitation of children.
4. To provide information to customers (travellers) by means of
catalogues, brochures, in-flight films, ticket-slips, home pages, etc.
5. To provide information to local “key persons” at the destinations.
6. To report annually.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
Criterion 1: Establishment of an ethical policy regarding commercial
sexual exploitation of children
The signatory company adopts a corporate policy against commercial
sexual exploitation of children. The company informs all its employees
about the Code of Conduct.
The introduction of such a policy is due within a year after the signature of
the Code of Conduct.
Criterion 2: Training of employees in the country of origin and the travel
destination
The personnel of the signatory company, regardless of level of
responsibility, have to be informed and trained on the Code of Conduct. As
part of the service quality system, employees must receive regular training.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Policy sample
Our Company condemns the sexual
exploitation of children in travel and tourism.
We will train our staff and partners to ensure
that they know what to do if they suspect
such exploitation in the course of their work.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
Criterion 3: Introduction of a clause in contracts with service
providers/suppliers stating a common repudiation of commercial
sexual exploitation of children
The clause stipulates that a contract with a supplier will be cancelled in the
case that the supplier does not meet the commitments regarding the
repudiation of commercial sexual exploitation of children in its activities or
on its premises.
Criterion 4: Provision of information to travellers by means of catalogues,
brochures, in-flight films, ticket-slips, home pages, etc.
The signatory company commits to inform the customer about CST and the
company policy on CST. The company also provides the customer with a
channel to report cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Contract clause sample
We ask our business partners through our
contracts (terms and conditions) that:
• No child prostitution be allowed or
tolerated at the supplier’s facilities
• Any suspicious behaviour from guests
be reported to the relevant local
authorities
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
Criterion 5: Information provision on the Code of Conduct and the
company’s policy in this regard to “local key persons” at the
destinations
Key persons include individuals who have contact with customers (e.g.
restaurant and bar owners, taxi drivers) as well as persons having an
influence in the community (e.g. decision makers, the local Code
representative, child rights organisations). They are also people who have
influence on the lives of children in the destination (social services or law
enforcement).
Criterion 6: Annual reporting on the level of implementation of the Code
of Conduct for the protection of children from sexual exploitation in
travel and tourism
The annual report allows the signatory company to take stock of the efforts
made and results achieved.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 9
The Code of Conduct:
The Signing Process
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
Step 1: Interest in the Code of Conduct
The Information Sheet is available on www.thecode.org, and is
distributed by the “The Code” Secretariat and the local Code
representatives.
Step 2: Application to sign and implement the Code of Conduct
Upon request to “The Code” Secretariat, the company receives an
Application Form to start the process of signing the Code of Conduct.
The completed Application Form must be sent to the “The Code”
Secretariat.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
Step 3: Elaboration and submission of an Action Plan
After having sent in the Application Form, the applying company receives
an Action Plan Form from the “The Code” Secretariat. Together with the
local Code representative, the company discusses and drafts an Action
Plan.
Step 4: Signing of the Code of Conduct
The company signs an implementation agreement with the local Code
representative and a representative of the Code of Conduct Executive
Committee.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Barceló and ECPAT Spain, 2007
Sol Meliá and ECPAT Spain, 2007
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
Step 5: Implementation of the Code of Conduct
The signatory company nominates a person who is responsible for the
Code implementation coordination.
Step 6: Ongoing-monitoring of the implementation process
The first annual report is due one year after the signing of the Code.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
...Results
•
•
•
•
The Code is implemented by the
tourism indsutry in 23 countries
(2007)
Creating local ownership: national
versions of the Code launched in
Costa Rica, Brazil, the Netherlands,
the Dominican Republic, Spain
Impact:
over 30 million tourists who travel
annually using services of CC
signatory tour operators
Launch of the Code in North
America (April 21, 2004) at UNICEF
© UNICEF/HQ04-0200/Markisz
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
...Results
•
•
•
•
80% of the Nordic tour operating market
23 members of the Tour Operators Initiative (TOI)
Tour operators associations: Germany, Austria, Italy, USA
British Airways 2003 ‘Tourism for Tomorrow’ Award, Large Scale
Tourism
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
...Results
Launch of the Code in JAPAN (March 14, 2005)
The Code signed by JATA, JTB and
over 60 Japanese companies
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
...Results
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 10
The Code of Conduct:
International Structure
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
• The AGM, composed of signatory companies and local code
partners, elects a Code Steering Committee (14).
• The Steering Committee (14) votes to elect its Executive
officers (5).
• The Executive Committee (5) votes to elect the Chair.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
COMPOSITION OF STEERING COMMITTEE
INDUSTRY: 50% (7 seats)
• Hotels: 1 association, 1 other hotel chain
• Tour Operators: 1 association, 1 other tour operator
• Travel Agents: 1 association, 1 other travel agent
• One free seat
GOVERNMENTS: 14% (2 seats),
• One National Tourism Authority
• World Tourism Organization – permanent seat
NGOs: 21% (3 seats)
• ECPAT International – permanent seat
• Two other NGOs
FUNDING BODY: 8% (1 seat)
INDEPENDENT SEAT: 8% (e.g. academic, legal, youth, or global citizen)
Secretariat (non-voting)
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
2008-2010 Steering Committee Members:
TOI
KUONI Scandinavia
Accor Hotels
Sol Meliá (Spain)
Sun’n’Sand Resort and Trust (Kenya)
DRV (Germany)
SKÅL International
ECPAT International
Paniamor (Costa Rica)
FTTSA (South Africa)
WTO
UNICEF
SECO Switzerland
Kaspar Hess (Switzerland)
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Code of Conduct
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
5 Executive officers 2007-2009
•
•
•
•
•
Industry: Chair*
Industry: Kuoni Scandinavia
Industry: Accor Hotels
NGO seat: ECPAT International (Vice Chair)
Other seat: Paniamor
* As of November 2008, the Chair position is vacant and will probably be filled in again at the
Code AGM of March 2009.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 11
Other Responses to CST and
the Importance of Advocacy
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Responses to CST
Materials produced most often include:
•
•
•
•
•
Brochures
Videos
Posters
Luggage tags
Ticket covers
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Airport Hoarding – ECPAT Netherlands
Hoarding
ECPAT Cambodia
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Advertisement for
Hotline
Advertisement
ECPAT Sweden
tax-return donations
ECPAT Italy
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Luggage Tag
ECPAT France
Brochure
Respect - Bulgaria
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Programme examples to combat CST
• Vocational training programmes for at-risk youth
• Vocational training programmes for survivors of
child sexual exploitation
ECPAT group in
South Asia
http://www.youthcareerinitiative.org/
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Importance of Advocacy
Constant advocacy of the work being done is crucial to
combating child sex tourism successfully because it:
• popularises the concepts of socially responsible and sustainable
tourism;
• legitimises an open and public discussion;
• presents a united front against child sex tourism;
• informs tourists on which companies they should be using;
• allows companies and tourists to identify which organisations
they can report to if CST is witnessed;
• helps companies identify which organisations might help them
implement a child protection programme.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Importance of Advocacy
It is important to include the local community and tourism
associations in the initiatives against CST, as this is likely to elicit
more interest from other companies.
There exist international platforms that presents work being done
against child sex tourism and that can be used in advocacy:
• The UN World Tourism Organisation Task Force (twice a year)
• The World Tourism Forum for Peace and Sustainable Development
(once a year)
• The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (multiple events)
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
The Importance of Advocacy
ECPAT International is an advocacy
organisation, that works with companies and
associations to combat the sexual exploitation
of children in tourism.
Other stakeholders lobbied by ECPAT include
governments, UN agencies, international
NGOs, grassroots organisations and local
communities.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 12
Working with
Child-Rights Organisations
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Selecting your partners…
Most organisations working for or with children are
legitimate. However, some may not actually be
committed to the best interests of children.
Do not associate with an organisation that does not
have a proven track record.
Organisations working with or for children conduct a
wide variety of work programmes. They might:
• Provide direct services to vulnerable children
• Conduct research on child sex tourism
• Operate hotlines for reporting exploitation of
children
• Already work with other socially-responsible
companies
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Selecting your partners…
If there is an organisation near you
that you wish to work with:
•
•
•
Speak with local social services or
other government agencies to see if
they know anything about the
organisation
Research the organisation on the
Internet and in the local media to see if
the organisation has been reported for
any misdeeds
Contact ECPAT International for details
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Speaking with local organisations
• Reach out to the organisation with a letter, email or telephone call with an explanation of
what the company would like to achieve with its
child-protection policy.
• Be sure not to mislead the organisation into
believing that the collaboration would include
possible funding, if this is not intended.
• Organisations can be suspicious of what
outsiders want, especially if they are working
with children who have been sexually exploited.
Have patience and courtesy when speaking
with a representative of the organisations.
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Collaborating with Local Organisations
A Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) which clearly outlines both
parties’ duties in a given type of
collaboration can be helpful:
•
•
•
•
for fundraising events
for a series of staff-training sessions
distribution of information leaflets or
brochures on the issue of CST
designating who are the respective
contact points in the company and the
organisation
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Session 13
Working with Companies or
National Tourism Authorities
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Before speaking with a tourism
company…
• Know the problem: Surveys and Research
• Understand their business
• Know the company and their partners
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Communicating with a travel company:
• Present the issue in a non-threatening
way
• Explain what has been done
• Explain what your NGO can do (provide
information on issue, serve as a recipient
for important information, train staff, etc.)
• Speak about what has already been done
in the tourism industry
• Speak about industry standards (UNWTO,
international tourism organisations, IHRA)
• Positive! Empowering! Beneficial!
+
=
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
How can NGOs assist?
• Attending and speaking at
tourism venues
• Organising local workshops
with tourism companies and
advertising in local
newspapers or travel
magazines
• Contacting companies already
working on the issue (e.g. The
Code)
• Contacting ECPAT
International to see where and
what work can be done
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
National Tourism Authorities:
What do they do?
•
•
•
•
Market own country on a global scale
Set standards for industry
Direct type of tourism
Legitimise actions taken on behalf of children
by the business sector
• Promote family-friendly and child-friendly
tourism
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
National Tourism Authorities:
Why work with them?
• National Tourism Authorities market their
country abroad
• Establish acceptable business behaviour
• Understand the dynamics of their tourism
destination
• As a branch of government, NTAs are
responsible for the safety of the country’s
children
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Involving Tourism Authorities
means…
• Demonstrating the value of child-friendly
tourism
• Providing support and technical expertise
• Working closely and professionally together
• Offering to be a force for child-friendly yet
profitable tourism!
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism
Involving Tourism Authorities
means….
• Promoting responsible tourism should be
forceful, positive and empowering
• Socially and environmentally responsible
tourism is central to protecting children from
commercial sexual exploitation and
safeguarding children’s rights
• It is the only way to ensure stable tourism
growth and long-term socio-economic
stability
Raising Awareness on
Child Sex Tourism